Consumer, business and government debt has surged to 230 per cent of the country's economy - sparking fears of a high-risk bubble which could burst at any moment. The new Chinese middle class is a vital driver of global growth, and a financial crisis in the country could plunge the planet into a fresh recession, it is claimed.

Buy-to-let was Britain's favourite investing hobby. Today, dinner party chatter is as likely to be about why the numbers didn't stack up for keeping your old flat, or buying another property. It's not that we've fallen out of love with bricks and mortar but tax hikes and regulations have snatched the wind from our sails and buy-to-let investors must be much more careful nowadays.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

The FTSE 250 firm and its partner Vectura were savaged in May after failing to gain US regulatory approval for a generic version of rival GlaxoSmithKline's asthma drug Advair. Despite reporting 'constructive' talks with the US regulator which 'clarify and resolve a number of the questions raised', the firm did not say whether the drug is slated for a US release any time soon.

MONEY NEWS & ADVICE

The financial crisis was a sobering experience for investment managers - just ask Carl Stick who's Rathbone Income fund was one of the worst performers when it all came crashing down. But he is keen to point out that those credit crunch lessons were learnt and the portfolio is now managed in a more conservative fashion with a greater emphasis on balance sheet strength and the risk of an investment making a loss.

On the maximum subscription amount over a year, the NS&I account would offer £83 tax-free interest. Junior Isas have a far smaller subscription limit than adult tax-free accounts with £4,128 allowed to enter the account for the financial year 2017/18. The NS&I version can only be opened and managed online, with a minimum deposit of £1.

The crippling sum is made up of a long list of bills, which include stamp duty, estate agency fees, surveys, legal costs, removal fees and refurbishment costs. The sum eats into capital downsizers had hoped to use to help make ends meet or fund a more comfortable retirement.

Aston Martin gave the world a sneak preview of its first ever estate car. It's called the Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake and it's a two-seat sports car, ideal for the days when James Bond needs a bit more luggage space. And it's not the only limited edition Vanquish Zagato Aston Martin revealed.

My wife and I get state pensions and I have a SIPP, giving a potential total income of £22,727 a year. Given that the current taxable personal allowance is £11,500 a year, what options are there for us to legally avoid paying any tax? Are we able to share each others taxable allowances? If possible, how do we go about it? Former pensions minister Steve Webb replies.

The new fee - which will net the telecoms giant millions of pounds a year - has been added to every new monthly contract taken out since February. Vodafone says the service offers customers extra protection against any harmful websites users may visit while surfing the internet. The so-called 'Secure Net' software is included on monthly contracts and is advertised as a 'free three-month trial' in Vodafone's promotional material.

Parents baffled by the Government's two new - and very complicated - childcare schemes risk losing out on vital perks if they don't act quickly. Yesterday we revealed parents fear losing nursery places or being hit with unexpected bills because of delays and technical problems with the taxman's website and helpline.

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Chief executive Henry Birch said the group had 'a challenging first half', but that trading had improved in the second half, especially in its digital arm. Rank, which also runs Grosvenor casinos, said pre-tax profit in the year to June 30 fell 7 per cent to £79.7million, while revenues also fell slightly from £709million to £707million.

YOUR MONEY ESSENTIALS

If you've ever thought that owning a sprawling country house is out of your price range, it's time to look again. A stunning six-bedroom country property called Chesterhill House (pictured) has gone on the market for a mere £200,000. The asking price of the listed house in Scotland's Fife, which comes with three acres of land, is the same as a one-bedroom studio flat for sale in Haringey, North London (top right and bottom right). Chesterhill House comes with land and outbuildings, including a walled garden and some detached garages. It also has several distinctive architectural features, such as castellated parapets and a square plan tower. With an asking price of £200,000, it could be possible to purchase the property with a £20,000 deposit and an annual salary of £40,000 (based on banks lending 4.5 times annual income).

The small-car sector is of crucial importance in the UK and, pretty much since it was launched in 2008, the Ford Fiesta has led the way. Now there's a new one for 2017. The question is, can it retain supermini supremacy or is there a new champion of the compact-car market? Pictured from left to right: Seat Ibiza, Ford Fiesta, Skoda Fabia.

Investors use dividend-focussed funds to build their wealth or generate healthy income payouts, but an expert has warned these funds are over-reliant on just a few British companies. Adrian Lowcock, investment director at Architas, says many funds in the Investment Association UK Equity Income sector pile into the same handful of high dividend-paying shares. We look at five ways to avoid that.

Bungalows appear to be having a turnaround in fortunes as they're now commanding house prices of more than £1million in sought-after areas. And one of the properties in our quiz costs an eye-watering £3million - but can you guess which one?

The price of cryptocurrency bitcoin has surged in the last few weeks meaning the value of the coins is up 332 per cent since the start of the year. Now sitting at $4,317 a coin, bitcoin had reached a record high of $2,476 back in May when This is Money last covered the digital currency.

Hillclimbing is one of the oldest forms of motorsport and is a spectacular event where competitors race uphill to set the fastest time. Hillclimbing became hugely popular in the UK after the First World War, with thousands of spectators turning out at public road courses to watch top drivers race. However, a run of accidents put paid to road racing in April 1925. It enjoyed great success again in the 1950s and 1960s and is run today on courses around the UK. We took a trip to the oldest one, Shelsley Walsh, to learn how to do it.

I was cold called by Incrementum Funding about buying shares in Paragon Time Trading Ltd, a business involved in expensive watches that was to be listed on the AIM market according to salesman Spencer George. An impressive email set out returns and other details, and I invested £6,000. Is this a share scam?

Thousands of children in the UK are at risk of losing nursery places next month after an online meltdown in the Government's two new childcare schemes aimed at helping parents. The schemes were set up to give families access to more free childcare hours and provide extra 'top up' cash for every £8 saved towards nursery care, but website glitches have caused chaos and prevented many taking advantage. Helen Daykin, pictured with daughters Pearl, five, and Iris, three, (left) said her claim was rejected because the system did not recognise her as employed despite her running her own business, while Kris and Clare Drummond said they were prevented from accessing their account to obtain their top up cash for daughter Sophie (right). The HMRC has apologised and said 'significant improvements' have been made online to help parents.

It is viewed as the crime of the 21st Century. Figures released last month show that one in nine adults has either been the victim of a cyber attack - often with money secretly taken from a bank account or swindled as they visit a bogus website.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR MONEY?

To clear the average national household debt of £13,000 at 6% interest with a monthly repayment of £100 will take around 17 years. There are, however, plenty of simple ways to make significant savings on your regular spending that could clear your debt - or boost your savings - in less than a year. This is Money's top 50 - updated - money-saving tips may appear light-hearted but are deadly serious.

Choosing the right DIY platform is crucial but a wealth of choice and changes to charges have left many investors scratching their heads. We pick some of the best. We also highlight why investing in an Isa makes sense, as it should protect your hopefully growing investments from tax forever.

The amount you can save into a pension ultimately depends on what you can afford - but the longer you leave it the more you will need to save. We tend to put ambitious targets on our hoped-for income in retirement and then underestimate how much we will need to set aside to achieve that. So how much should you save?

Worries over debt in the economy have been raised in the latest bank Financial Stability Report in the wake of fresh speculation that interest rates may rise sooner than most expect. The latest MPC meeting led one investment bank, Nomura, to suggest a rate rise could come as soon as August. Economist George Buckley said comments from Bank chief economist Andy Haldane's and the 5-3 split made an early move more likely.

Borrowers are being offered a raft of cheap fixed rate mortgages as lenders attempt to lure them into remortgaging or buying a home. But HSBC has decided to buck the trend and launch a new rate mortgage that is a tracker instead. We pick out the best fixed and tracker rate mortgages and look at what next for rates.

For many buy-to-let looks an attractive income investment in a time of low rates and stock market volatility. Climbing house prices, rising rents and improving mortgage deals are tempting investors - although they will need a big deposit. Read This is Money's top ten buy-to-let tips

Compare your pay to the national average and see whether your employer treated you to a pay rise in line with the the rest of your profession. Farmers, care and air travel assistants were big winners on the pay scales in 2016. Travel agents, careers advisers and probation officers lost out.

Opening a student bank account is one of the most important financial steps in gearing up for the start of a fresher's university journey. The one school leavers choose will likely see them through their three plus years of study and longer, as inertia stops most people switching away from their existing bank.